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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25344721">Chat Noir stole my panties</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kandykate/pseuds/Kandykate'>Kandykate</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Miraculous Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng Fluff, Angst, Blood and Gore, Drama &amp; Romance, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Marichat | Adrien Agreste as Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Miraculous Ladybug Love Square, Multi, Mystery Stories</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 06:28:40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,528</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25344721</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kandykate/pseuds/Kandykate</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"W-Who are you?" Marinette breathed, her eyes sought his green Cat like glowing eyes in the dark. </p><p>   The masked hero grinned, pulling away from her before she could slip her fingers beneath his mask.<br/>"I'm sorry, Purrincess... but my identity must remain a secret..." </p><p> </p><p>When a mysterious Black Cat Hero saves Marinette from an almost unfortunate doom, he ends up stopping by her room more than the both have essentially anticipated </p><p> </p><p>Marichat AU.</p><p>Mature themes, read at your own risk.<br/>All characters are 22+ </p><p>I own no characters. All rights belong to Thomas &amp; Zag. </p><p>   Comedy/mystery/ romance/ explicit content. I'm just here to have fun but lots of Marichat and Adrienette.</p><p>Non-Ladybug AU</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>147</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter one: Meeting Chat Noir</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>"Did you hear about the murders?"</p><p>Marinette had drawn out her voice, but it was certainly the last thing she wanted to hear first thing in the morning.<br/>
It wasn't abnormal that Marinette couldn't properly function without her normal everyday morning coffee.</p><p>She was tired, and that much was evident. Marinette had attained her coveted job since high school, but she had to admit that it held a lot more responsibility than she had initially anticipated.</p><p>She couldn't complain.</p><p>The money was decent, the hours were convenient and she was able to proudly show off her designs on the runway during fashion week. It was a huge accomplishment, and despite Marinette working under the Agreste name she was quite proud that she got her ideas out there.</p><p>But despite working for the Agreste fashion company for five years, Marinette had still held dreams of starting her own business. Twenty-four could be seen as too young to start one, but Marinette wanted to break that glass ceiling. Her ambitions were just incredibly too big.</p><p>"Is this a proper morning conversation?" Marinette replied, a light chuckle in her voice, as her blue eyes moved towards the coffee machine by the tills in the employee cafe.</p><p>"Perhaps it is a little impertinent." Chloe scoffed, moving alongside Marinette as they awaited their turn for the expresso line. "But I felt that it was imperative you'd be notified about a serial killer in Paris who seems to go after women with a specific look."</p><p>Marinette tucked some of her thick hair behind her ear, the young woman adjusted the structure of her pencil skirt. "Is that something I should be concerned about?" Marinette questioned, briefly glancing over at Chloe who scrolled through her phone with pursed lips.</p><p>"I'd have to say yes." Chloe replied promptly. "Besides the fact that it's too close to home, the murderer seems to go for young women in their early to mid twenties. All the victims had dark hair and light colored eyes..."</p><p>Marinette pressed her lips together, shifting in her heels as she couldn't help but to notice the slight twinge in her chest.<br/>
"Are you implying that I'm his type?" Marinette inquired, keeping her eyes trained on the coffee machine. Her mind briefly wandered over to what flavor cream she'd use, her stomach hurt at the thought of a serial killer following her all the way to the bus stop after her shifts at work.</p><p>"That's exactly what I'm saying." Chloe chuckled. "Those poor women who were completely butchered all looked like you." The blonde pointed out, running her index finger through her high ponytail. "What if the killer already has his sights set on you?"</p><p>"I'd say he's welcome to!" Marinette joked, inwardly cringing at her dark humor, but the conversation was growing a bit too serious for comfort. "At least then you'd have more slots open to put your designs on display."</p><p>Chloe scoffed, a small smile on her lips as she slowly crossed her arms. "Oh please, we both know I belong on that stage. I do better <em>on </em>it than <em>behind </em>it if you know what I mean..."</p><p>"I think I have an idea." Marinette scoffed, her heart fluttering within her chest at the opportunity to finally grab a cup off coffee and get to work on a few designs that were due by the end of the week.</p><p>"Don't you think it's weird how Paris has a man dressed in a Cat suit tracking down crimes and bringing criminals to justice? I mean, I know we shouldn't compare real life to horribly written comic books, but this person may be a bit delusional." Chloe deadpanned, scrolling through her phone.<br/>
The blonde paused her digit, her blue eyes narrowing on a news article displaying the silhouette of the Cat like hero deep into the night.</p><p>"I've never met him and I wouldn't dream to. He sounds like a freak playing games. This is real life, we have police and medical workers and authorities, one of which includes my daddy who runs this town." Chloe explained. "We don't need crazy men in tight leather suits to play superhero."</p><p>Marinette scoffed, shaking her head as she kept her arms crossed.<br/>
She recalled the first time Chat Noir made an appearance for the first time a few years ago. It was only a year after Marinette started her freshman year at IFA.<br/>
She thought it was a little strange that he had emerged from nowhere. To think that there was a man dressed in a cat suit, with superhuman strength and was incredibly flexible and fearless when it came to leaping from rooftop to rooftop.</p><p>Marinette had initially shared the same thoughts as any sane person would. She felt that it was a little odd and police should handle these situations. Marinette even believed that Chat Noir was just a furry who wanted to dip his paws in business that had no right to be in. But he got the job done, and in fact did the job better than the local police did.</p><p>As far as she was concerned, the safer the city was, the more content she was with living there. She didn't care who or how it got done, as long as it got done.</p><p>She had never met Chat Noir in person, as she knew that meeting him never came under good circumstances. Marinette always made sure to keep her nose clean and mind her business. She was sure he was a decent man outside of his nightly duties of patrolling, but the last thing Marinette needed was to fall into a rabbit hole of danger and needing a black cat to pick her out by the scruff.</p><p>Marinette wouldn't have minded meeting him, but she knew that anyone whose ever met him, only did so because they were in grave danger. That simply wasn't what she wanted to be in.</p><p>"I'm sure it wouldn't be too bad to meet him. At least you know you'd be in safe arms. He's collected more bad guys than the police have." Marinette explained, stepping closer to the line of coffee and expresso makers by the tills. "No offense to Sabrina's father, but they really needed the help."</p><p>Chloe watched as Marinette had the room to approach the coffee maker. The young woman carefully pulled a paper cup from the dispenser and placed it beneath the coffee drip with an extreme want in her eyes.<br/>
There was nothing that could get between Marinette and her coffee.</p><p>"If that was the case, then why hasn't he discovered who the serial murder is? It's not like he's clean with his crimes. Two of the victims were found with semen on them. He raped the victims just as he was done cutting their throats. There's a ton of evidence left behind, someone as mighty as Chat Noir who prowls the street surely would have discovered who this sicko is by now. I'm tired of the streets being empty like we're quarantined to a pandemic. I want to be able to go clubbing again without constantly looking behind my back or abiding to a curfew."</p><p>Marinette rolled her eyes, her fingertips lightly digging into her arms as she awaited for her paper cup to fill so she could add her favorite hazelnut cream and seven pounds of sugar.</p><p>"Some serial killers can be tricky to locate. He could leave all the DNA evidence he desires. If he's not in the database with prior criminal records or if he's not from around here, they can't tell for sure who it is. As far as I'm concerned this person doesnt leave any witnesses. All Chat Noir needs is to be at the right place in the right time. I'm sure he'll get to finding whoever this murderer is eventually, and then we can try to go back to our normal lives if we aren't unfortunate enough to get a copycat killer." Marinette sighed, slowly reaching over to grab her cup and move it to the side so that she could layer it beneath the creamer pump.</p><p>"Can't that come soon enough?" Chloe groaned, grabbing a papercup from the dispenser and moving over towards the expresso line. "It feels like it's been forever since we were able to go out. I mean, except for you. I know you'd stay in doors anyway, but I have a social life to maintain."</p><p>"Mm." Marinette hummed, pumping the creamer into her coffee until it was at a satisfying shade. She then moved over to the sugar where she began to dump as much as she could into it. "That's too bad I don't have to look over my shoulder every four seconds because I'm safe within the confines of my own home. Some clubs haven't closed, the ones that have closed only do it for our protection. You're still free to go out and maintain a social life, but they urge you to bring some sort of protection with you or that you don't go out alone. It's just a new normal for now until they catch the guy who is doing this." Marinette explained, stirring the sugar into her coffee.</p><p>"Seems like a lot to get over." Chloe deadpanned, shaking her head as Marinette snapped a lid on her coffee and took a long hard gulp. "Good luck during fashion week. Maybe if I'm lucky Mr. Agreste would allow me to walk the stage. I've known his family for years."</p><p>"So you've said a million times, Chloe." Marinette interjected. "Look, it was nice talking to you, but I'm behind on a few projects and they're all due by the end of this week. I'd love nothing more than to talk about Chat Noir being a furry and complaining about how the clubs close at midnight instead of three am, but I really need to get my priorities in order if I want to keep my job, pay off my debts, and start my own corporation with proper experience."</p><p>Chloe simply watched Marinette with a flaccid expression, completley unphased by Marinette's studious way of life. She'd always been that way since high school. Chloe didn't feel bad for her though, as far as she was concerned, Marinette was a boring girl with nothing else going on for her.</p><p>Marinette tucked her paperwork beneath her arm and she clutched on to the coffee cup.<br/>
The dark haired women clambered away in a hurry, occasionally tripping on her heels as she made her way out of the cafeteria and into the hallway so she could catch the elevator to her tenth floor office that she was graciously given after four years of hard work.</p><p>The blonde shook her head, snapping the lid on to her paper cup after she had pumped an extra shot of expresso.</p><p>Some people just never change.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Marinette groaned, closing her sketchbook and sliding it to the side of her desk. She had spent the entire night working on designs.<br/>
Chloe had gotten into her head, and more often than not, Marinette caught herself worrying about the description of the women who were murdered. Marinette strayed away from her work, researching the backstories of the victims and upon learning that these women did look remarkably similar to one another.</p><p>They all matched her description. Dark hair, light eyes, pale freckled skin and a lean body build. Marinette had to admit that the murderer had a specific type, and she had cursed her genes for making her this way. She even contemplated purchasing a blonde wig, or dying her hair a crazy pink color. Marinette even contemplated getting a horribly orange spray tan. She was desperate enough to dress up as a clown, so long as it kept her safe.</p><p>The building was empty, and it was thirty minutes past curfew, Marinette only had an hour to catch a bus and get home or she'd be stranded walking.<br/>
She slung her purse over her shoulder, locked the doors and took an elevator down to the lobby. Marinette bid her farewells to the cleaning crew and she happily waltzed out into the night air.</p><p>Marinette bit her lip, fumbling with her purse as Chloe's words earlier only fueled her paranoia. She exhaled, mentally convincing herself <em>not </em>to look over her shoulder every twelve seconds. She inwardly scolded herself for listening to Chloe. She should have learned long ago during high school that Chloe babbled nonsense.</p><p>What was there to be scared of?<br/>
This murderer had been out for nearly two months, and Marinette managed to remain unscathed since then.</p><p>It was a little sad that the other women suffered, and the stab wounds were said to be horrific. The thought of it alone made her stomach turn.<br/>
She glanced up at the night sky, her heart sinking as she wept inside. The families of those women had to have been torn. It was a hard concept to grasp that all the women were in their twenties, and had their lives cut short so horribly and tragically.</p><p>Marinette could only hope that Chat Noir was nearby. All the murders happened at night, she couldn't be so sure as to why he wasn't able to capture him or see anything when all he did was prowl around at night.</p><p>She exhaled, lowering her eyes down to the pavement below. Marinette knew that Chat Noir must've had a life outside of prancing around Paris in a cat costume and climbing building all the while risking his life and sleep trying to keep the streets of Paris safe.</p><p>Marinette couldn't imagine trying to balance a double life as a hero.</p><p>She paused, immediately shaking her head as she was merely steps away from her designated bustop.</p><p>
  <em>What was she thinking?!</em><br/>
<em>Chat Noir was completely insane! He honestly shouldn't be out in the middle of the night watching everyone when the police were hired by the mayor to do the job! These things should be left for the police!</em>
</p><p>Marinette gripped on to her hair, curling her toes within her heels as she allowed Chloe to get into her head once more. She was being incredibly paranoid and Marinette was hating every single second of it. She just needed to go home, have a shower and relax until she had to wake up bright and early for work the next day.</p><p>Marinette knew the better option was to distract herself with thoughts about work. She needed to get some sewing done and she needed to have them measured for the models so that they'd be ready for the runway.</p><p>She needed to stop with all this nonsense that required anything to do about Chat Noir, the murders or even Chloe.<br/>
It would only distract her away from the things that really mattered and that was to get her work done. Marinette was married to her work, she didn't have time to worry about that other stuff.</p><p>She had been okay for weeks up until this point, there was no need for her to suddenly get worked up now.</p><p>And for what?<br/>
For something Chloe said?</p><p>Marinette pressed her lips together, clutching on to her purse as it was only then that she realised that the streets were virtually empty. She had never been out past curfew before and she knew that there were some businesses open, but no one dared to be out this late. All the women that matched the description of the serial murders wouldn't dare to go out alone in a situation like this.</p><p>Yet, here Marinette was. A young woman in her twenties with a small build and a freckled face, busy body with dark hair out and about on an empty street just waiting to be hunted like fresh kill.</p><p>Marinette paused at her bus stop, her heart racing as she stood in dead silence. There was not a soul in sight. She wondered if the bus would be empty as well. The killer could have been anyone, it could even be the bus driver.</p><p>She chewed on her bottom lip, realizing that no matter how many times she tried to stay away from the subject that fueled her anxiety, she somehow got stuck on it.<br/>
Marinette never wanted to stay past curfew again. If another murder occurred that wasn't hers, she'd avoid any type of media like the plague.</p><p>This was something that had to be dealt with by the police, and if the mysterious Chat Noir could somehow help put a stop to it as well, then so be it.</p><p>All Marinette had to do was wait for her bus and mind her own business. She needed to worry about work, and that was all that mattered. The rest was simply an anxiety fueler.</p><p>The warm breeze blew through her hair as Marinette waited in silence, she reached up, attempting to brush her fingers through her bangs, but she never made it.<br/>
Marinette barely had time to think before she felt a tight grip on her wrist and she was suddenly pulled into darkness.</p><p>Her eyes darted around her, unable to see who had grabbed her and a small whimper escaped her lips the moment her face was slammed against the hard surface of a brick building at the end of a block.<br/>
She twisted her ankle, but the searing pain that radiated across her face hurt more than the fact that her ankle was possibly swelling.<br/>
Marinette couldn't make out a figure, and she couldn't make out where she had suddenly been dragged to, but all of the curiosity washed away the moment she felt a cool blade of a knife pressed against the tender area of her throat.</p><p>This couldn't be happening.<br/>
This couldn't have happened to her.</p><p>Perhaps Chloe was right all along.<br/>
This would be the night that she'd die.</p><p>"Don't move..." the husky voice murmured into her ear. "Or I'll run this through your neck..."</p><p>Marinette flinched, the fear that soaked into her bones made her unable to move.</p><p>"P-Please..." Marinette whimpered, squeezing her eyes shut as she waited for the worst to happen. After what she had read happened to the victims, Marinette didn't expect any less. "Don't do this. I swear I'll give you anything you want. I won't even say a word-"</p><p>"Shut up!" The assailant interjected, his free hand twisting into her hair and pushing her face harder against the brick building. "Your fucking begging is getting annoying. If you want your fucking head on the floor, I'd suggest you shut that pretty little mouth of yours."</p><p>Marinette trembled, tears pooling in her eyes as she clenched on to her keys. There was no one in sight.</p><p>There were no police cars.<br/>
No Chat Noir.<br/>
No witnesses.</p><p>Nothing.</p><p>If Marinette was going to die, she'd at least try to defend herself and take her chances while going down. She had nothing remotely sharp on her but if she wound her keys around her knuckles precisely enough, she'd at least have the chance of getting his eyes and using her heels as a weapon.</p><p>Marinette had no intentions of going down without a fight.</p><p>She slowly looped her keys into her knuckles, her chest heaving as she was about to make her move but paused the moment she saw the flash of silver and a pair of glowing green eyes that scared her more than the assault.</p><p>Her eyes widened the moment a metal stick plummeted into the space beside her head, and immediately she could feel the knife on her neck jerk away. Marinette could have fallen to her knees, but she had been uncomfortably pressed up against the wall.</p><p>The assailant was sandwiched between her and the mysterious male who had taken the stance behind the both of them.</p><p>"I wouldn't do that if I were you..."</p><p>Marinette gulped, her brow furrowing at the sound of another voice who came in to join the escapade.<br/>
Marinette could vividly feel the man behind her laugh, the knife then moving to her side as she remained still.</p><p>"So you're the Chat Noir that everyone's been talking about I assume..." he muttered, lightly moving away from Marinette who awkwardly stood there. Her heart squeezed in her chest and Marinette thanked her lucky stars that someone had arrived just at the right time.</p><p>She wasn't sure if she had finally helped out in the mysterious serial murders or if they both were going to end up dead.</p><p>All she did know was that she had no intentions of staying out after curfew ever again</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2: It wasn't what it seemed</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>•☆° She had found the colors to </em>
  <em>paint</em>
  <em> him.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>   Where the world had left him gray.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>-Atticus •☆°</em>
</p>
<p>✾  ༄   ꧁꧂ ༄  ✾</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Marinette stepped out of the police cruiser. <br/>
 </p>
<p>The moonlight casted an eerie glow to the path of her apartment doors. <br/>
She had spent most of the night being questioned by the police about what had happened - Marinette made sure not to leave out any details. Despite being incredibly tired and still having the drive to continue work the next day, Marinette couldn't find it in her to move her feet.</p>
<p>  It all almost felt surreal. <br/>
She was only moments away from being killed, but Chat had shown up at the right time. Marinette was sure she was about to do well on her own, but by the way her assailant had her pinned, the fight would have been in vain. The police knew about the mysterious cat hero who prowled the streets at night, looking for the unknown serial killer who had taken the lives of many young women in Paris, and it was a cold day in hell to finally learn that they may have finally caught their killer.</p>
<p>  At least that's what she had hoped and felt confident in. <br/>
Marinette wasn't told about anything in regards to the detained suspect, all she knew was that the weapons that were found on him, matched many of the wounds found on the women who were recovered from the dark alleys from which they died. </p>
<p>   She wasn't told a name, an age, a motive. She wasn't told anything. </p>
<p>  The lines beneath her eyes deepened, and the young women shuffled her keys between her pale fingers as the police cruiser slowly pulled away from the curb, leaving her alone on the street once more. </p>
<p>Her blue eyes trailed up the pavement leading to the secured building in which she resided. She yawned, her heart nearly sinking into her stomach the moment she suspected that it could have been the very early hours of the morning.</p>
<p>  <em>Crap.</em></p>
<p>That just means only three hours of sleep and waiting in line for a good half hour for the coffee machine inside the cafeteria at work.</p>
<p>   She reached up, fixing the blouse of her outfit and tucking a few strands of loose dark hair behind her ear before she tiredly made her way down the pavement. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>   </p><hr/>
<p>     •☆    ꧁꧂ •☆</p>
<p>     </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Marinette was still shaken by the time she hitched the elevator to her apartment. She had spent hours at the police station with many people in her ear assuring that she was alright, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she could find herself in danger again sometime soon.</p>
<p>   She also couldn't get Chat Noir out of her head. She couldn't rid the sound of his voice, his flexibility, and his timing.</p>
<p>  Marinette couldn't have been more grateful, and though she didn't see much of him after the police arrived to the scene, she couldn't help but hope that she'd see him again. </p>
<p>Of course, she hadn't hoped to see him under such circumstances, but Marinette never had the chance to properly thank him for saving her life, as well as taking the time out to help solve the murders. </p>
<p>   She sighed, lowering her eyes as she began to unbutton her blouse with a grimace. Marinette wasn't sure if she would be able to sleep - it was quite frightening. She closed her eyes briefly before she glanced down, carefully stepping out of her heels and placing them to the side. </p>
<p>  She was anxious, that went without a doubt, and Marinette was worried she'd be having nightmares about the whole ordeal. If that really was the killer, then the streets should be safe for her and her friends to walk.</p>
<p>At least that's what she hoped.</p>
<p>  She couldn't get the sound of her assailant's voice out of her head. She couldn't get the image of his face away from her mind. She could still feel the sharp blade of the knife pressed against her pulse even as she stood at that very moment inside of her own bedroom. </p>
<p>Marinette held a brave face but she was terrified. She always knew the world could be scary, but she never thought she'd have something like that happen to her.</p>
<p>  She was grateful that Chat Noir was there at the right place at the right time, but she couldn't solely depend on him, could she?</p>
<p>  Marinette faced her balcony, her eyes glancing through the glass doors as she was embraced by the Parisian skyline alongside the moonlight that permeated through. </p>
<p>   Her hands clutched her blouse, and Marinette could almost feel her heart sink into the pit of her stomach with fear the moment her blue eyes unexpectedly met with a pair of glowing green eyes that glared back at her from the other side.</p>
<p>  Marinette pressed her lips together, stifling a scream that wanted to escape her throat. </p>
<p>  The dark figure climbed onto her balcony, standing tall as he tucked his weapon behind him.</p>
<p>   Marinette exhaled, her hand slowly easing up on her blouse the moment she recognized the stranger who had stopped by. </p>
<p>  In fact, it was none other than the hero who had stepped in to save her only hours earlier into the night. </p>
<p>  She kicked her heels to the side, a subtle blush covering her cheeks as she stumbled over towards the balcony doors. Her fingers trembled as she gripped onto the handle and she grunted the moment she was finally able to get it open.</p>
<p>  A gust of warm air embraced her, and for a brief moment Marinette flinched as strands of her hair flew into her eyes. </p>
<p>  "I...hope I wasn't interrupting anything..." he spoke, his green eyes lowering briefly to the buttons that had been undone to her blouse. "But I thought I'd come check in on you after everything that happened."</p>
<p>  Marinette gulped, immediately reaching up to close the opening that had parted down her blouse.</p>
<p>  "I...uh...no, it's fine," she breathed, her blue eyes blinking rapidly as she felt considerably awkward standing in front of him. "How did you find me?"</p>
<p>  The hero crossed his arms, his glowing green eyes lowering down to the ground as he continued to hold an impassive expression. Marinette couldn't help but allow her heart to sink. </p>
<p>He looked so tired.</p>
<p>The more Marinette thought about it, the more she pondered the kind of pressure and stress he was under. She wouldn't have the slightest idea what compelled him to take on the role of a hero, but she could only assume that he had a life outside of this hobby. He could have possibly had stress in his personal life too.</p>
<p>"At the police station, I sort of followed the cruiser back here when you left." Chat sighed, his lips tugging into a frown. "Look, I'm going to stop by here more often, just to keep a lookout on things. I have no doubt that you'll be exploited in the media before this week is over, and because I was involved, it'll be so much worse..." the male sighed, reaching up to run his claws through his thick and tousled blond hair.</p>
<p>  Marinette blinked, completely stunned and unsure of how she felt about being prowled about like a small mouse attempting to flee from the big black cat of Paris. </p>
<p>  "W-What? Why? We caught the murderer, didn't we? I mean, I can decline the interviews by the tabloids, but the streets of Paris should be safe again," Marinette sputtered, the blush on her skin only growing deeper. </p>
<p>   "It wasn't him," Chat deadpanned, his gloved hand caressing his chin as he contemplated. "They ran the fingerprints, but it didn't match any of the fingerprints left at the crime scenes. He provided a DNA sample - it could be a bit before we get the results back, but I have no hopes of it matching. The assailant had a criminal history of petty robbery crimes, and the murderer we’re looking for wasn't in the database. So that tells us that the murderer doesn’t have a criminal history. I theorize that the assailant who attacked you had the intention to rob you while holding a weapon to copycat the actual person who has been responsible for the series of murders," Chat explained, dropping his arms to his side.</p>
<p>Marinette felt her scalp grow cold, her heart squeezed within her chest and her blue eyes lowered to Chat's hands as they clenched at his sides. </p>
<p>  "W-Wait..." she breathed softly, her voice trembling. "S-So that means the killer is still out there?" Her blue eyes moved up to his glowing green eyes in a panic. "B-But if they put my photos all over the media- then that means-"</p>
<p>"That means they'll tip off the real murderer out there. You fit the descriptions of his other victims and all the tabloids will do is serve him another potential victim," Chat interjected softly with an exasperated sigh. </p>
<p>  Marinette pressed her lips together, her eyes slowly closing as she was completely exhausted. She was tired of everything - she was tired of being scared, she was tired of the murders, she was tired of her flat line job. </p>
<p>She was just simply tired of it all.</p>
<p>"L-Look, I'm sure you have other things to deal with aside from doing your night job," Marinette murmured, gesturing to his night life of being a superhero, "But you don't have to follow me around all day. I understand that you want to protect me and I do appreciate that you stepped in at the time that you did..." her voice trailed off as she glanced up, watching as Chat Noir casually climbed the balcony rail.</p>
<p>  His black belt tail casually swayed behind him, and his left ear curiously twitched as he faced away from her, his eyes glanced down at the dimly lit Parisian skyline beneath the balcony of her luxury apartment.</p>
<p>"B-But I think I should be able to hold things on my own for now," Marinette continued, reaching up to nervously rub the back of her neck. "Starting tomorrow on my break from work, I'll go to the shops and buy some pepper spray or anything that I know will protect me. I'll leave in broad daylight where I know there'll be many witnesses. I know he won't come after me with people around."</p>
<p>   Chat Noir paused, crouching down as he briefly glanced over his shoulder to layer his glowing green eyes onto the woman who stood completely dumbfounded behind him.</p>
<p>"Don't worry, you won't even know I'm around. Just ask to see me, if you want to see me. But I assure you that this is all for your safety," the hero deadpanned. "I trust you're good at taking care of yourself and I won’t deny you that right, but I won't miss the opportunity to catch this guy if he ever does decide to appear around you."</p>
<p>  Marinette reached up to rub her eyes, her heart quickening within her chest out of fear at the thought of being approached by a murderer on the street once more.</p>
<p>  She had no doubt that she could put up a fight but the more she thought about it the more she felt that the idea of having Chat Noir nearby would be a good idea. </p>
<p>  Her blue eyes remained locked onto his golden hair as it blew in the warm wind. </p>
<p>  Marinette parted her lips, her heart aching in her chest as she wanted to express her worry for him as well as thank him for the intervention moments before when she was attacked in the alley, but her words were caught in her throat when Chat Noir simply leapt from the balcony.</p>
<p>  The young woman gasped, her eyes widening as she immediately ran towards the baluster to look down at the city below her. She sighed, a warm feeling permeating throughout her body as Chat Noir was no where in sight.</p>
<p>Marinette groaned, unsure if Chat Noir was still lurking about somewhere she couldn't see him, and yet she also couldn't help but wonder if she'd ever see him again. </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> •☆    ꧁꧂ •☆</p>
<p>     </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>"When was the last time you had sex?"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>  Marinette nearly choked on her coffee the moment Chloe uttered her impertinent question. </p>
<p>  This was a habit for her callous coworker, but it was almost as if it surprised her every time Chloe came up with something to say. </p>
<p>   But then again, Chloe was simply known to make wild conversations inappropriate for work. </p>
<p>   Marinette gawked at Chloe, her lips quivering as they pressed together. Chloe was completely nonchalant about her starter - it was almost like they were having a casual conversation in a room full of fellow coworkers. </p>
<p>  Marinette pressed her fingertips against her coffee cup, her heart sinking in her chest the more she thought about what had happened the night before. She hadn't seen anything about it in the media yet, but Marinette was hoping to keep the entire thing a secret - she didn’t want to be the next target of the serial killer. </p>
<p>  She was embarrassed about the situation, and Marinette couldn't help but be shocked at her encounter with Chat Noir. </p>
<p>  She didn’t quite understand what he meant when he told her that he'd only appear if she asked, and she didn't know why she expected him to be chipper than he actually was.</p>
<p>  The hero she met seemed incredibly distant and impassive. She could sense a warmth, but he had seemed so tired. She almost felt bad for him. </p>
<p>  Marinette glanced down at her cup, running her thumb along the lip of her drink as she exhaled.</p>
<p>  Of course, the situation was stressful and worrisome for the both of them. They both thought they'd finally removed the serial killer off the streets of Paris, only to find out they weren't even close.</p>
<p>Who would be chipper after that?</p>
<p>  There was an enormous pressure on his shoulders, and Marinette couldn't blame him for being distant.</p>
<p>"Chloe, do you think that is appropriate for work environment conversation? If someone heard you, we could both be reported for sexual misconduct. We could both lose our jobs. I know you're on good terms with Gabriel Agreste, but I'm sure that even he has some limits of what can and can't be said in the workplace," Marinette replied, rolling her shoulders as she tried everything in her to brush off what she had recalled the night before.</p>
<p>The more she acted normal, the less people would be suspicious of anything.</p>
<p>  She could only hope the local media wouldn't say anything about the assault and Chat Noir's involvement. </p>
<p>  "Oh, please," Chloe scoffed, reaching up to twirl her manicured finger into ends of her perfectly perched blonde pigtail. "I'm not too worried about that. That old bag finally decided to step down as the president of this company. He handed it off to his only son," Chloe smiled, her pink lips stretching as her blue eyes glanced upwards. A deep blush covered her cheeks as she exhaled, and Marinette was concerned for a moment. "He's so hot."</p>
<p>Marinette blinked, not entirely stunned by Chloe's obvious crush on their new boss, but was actually quite stunned that Gabriel Agreste would no longer be with the company. As long as she worked here, Gabriel had always been there. In fact, he was the one to hire her. </p>
<p>Marinette felt a little sad at the idea that he was leaving but she also couldn't help but feel concerned. She had been so distracted by the incident that had happened last night, she must've missed the urgent email that announced Gabriel's sudden resignation. </p>
<p>  She hoped he was okay.</p>
<p>Marinette knew nothing about his son, but she had seen him as the face of the company's brand. He was the top model that displayed all of Gabriel's new addition, even the underwear line, but by the way he grew up, Marinette could only wonder how spoiled he was.</p>
<p>She just hoped he was nice. </p>
<p>Surely someone who is assuming the role of a multimillion euro company should be business savy.</p>
<p>  "O-Oh..." Marinette breathed, looking away from her coffee as she noticed the employee cafe had started to empty. "I must've missed the email..." </p>
<p>Chloe scoffed once more, rolling her eyes and parting her lips to offer a rebuttal but paused the moment they both heard the sounds of high heels clicking onto the hard floor of the cafe. </p>
<p>"Ms. Dupain-Cheng," A familiar voice called out to her from the front of the cafe. "Mr. Agreste would like to see you." </p>
<p>Marinette tensed, knowing Nathalie's voice all too well. She quickly glanced up, her blue eyes widening at Nathalie who waited for Marinette. </p>
<p>She gulped, wondering if she was somehow going to be blamed for Chloe's inappropriate conversation, or if she was going to be fired for the incident that happened the night before.</p>
<p>Marinette was completely clueless as her blue eyes followed Chloe who simply moved away from the table and walked away without mentioning a word to either of them. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>That bitch...</p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>   •☆    ꧁꧂ •☆</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Marinette shifted her weight, her eyes trained on the elevator doors as she stood awkwardly beside Nathalie in silence. </p>
<p>  Marinette knew of all people that she had a tendency to overthink and talk herself into a coma when it came to these kinds of things. She didn’t have the nerve to ask Nathalie what was going on, and Marinette was almost sure to poop her pants the closer they got to the executive suite of the entire building.</p>
<p>  She clutched onto her sketches, and her heart pounded painfully in her chest as this was the first time she had ever been to that floor. It was exclusive to higher ups only, and Marinette only considered herself a lower leveled designer who would create designs under Gabriel's name. </p>
<p>Marinette pressed her lips together, her toes curling in her heels.<br/>
  Perhaps it would be better to think about things in a more positive way.</p>
<p>Maybe Gabriel wasn't handing the company over to his son. Perhaps he had been so impressed by the designs that made it to fashion week that he was going to offer Marinette the entire company itself and Adrien was simply meant to be her assistant. </p>
<p>A deep blush covered her cheeks and a spark of stars ignited in the pit of her stomach. Marinette felt incredibly bashful at the thought.</p>
<p>Of course she'd have to refuse that offer of taking over the Agreste company. Marinette had dreams of starting her own company, but she'd at least have some experience under her belt.</p>
<p>She'd be honored to be offered that position in the first place. <br/>
  Marinette grinned, her mind taking off in directions where she'd be the next president of a huge corporation. Her name and designs would be everywhere.</p>
<p>Adults, children, teens and seniors will all be wearing her designs, no matter the body type or the size.<br/>
   It was certainly a dream come true!</p>
<p>Marinette never really thought about a personal relationship when it came to the future.<br/>
  Eventually she'd like to get married, settle down and start a family, but Marinette couldn't remember being remotely interested in anyone or even intimate with someone since her college boyfriend a few years back. </p>
<p>It had been a long time since she had been with anyone, and Marinette wondered if she'd even have the time to balance a relationship with how busy she was at work.</p>
<p>But of course she wouldn't admit to anything like that out loud. </p>
<p>  Marinette glanced up, nearly jumping out of her skin the moment she heard the sound of the elevator coming to a halt.<br/>
  The small ding rung throughout her ears and Marinette watched in horror as the doors opened. She could feel her heart pounding rapidly within the confines of her chest as she followed Nathalie out the elevator. </p>
<p>  She clutched her sketches to her chest, the sounds of both their heels completely stifled by the carpet beneath the both of them. Her blue eyes followed Nathalie who walked in front of her, guiding Marinette down a narrow hallway that ended with two colossal wooden doors.</p>
<p>  A lump formed in her throat as both the women paused the moment they approached the door.<br/>
  Nathalie stood beside the door, allowing them to open so that Marinette could step inside.</p>
<p>  Marinette glanced up, her blue eyes enamoured by the warm sunlight that permeated throughout the executive room from the large windows that covered the entire scenery.</p>
<p>  Just across from her, Marinette could vividly see the presence of a young blond male, facing away from her as he stood by the window.<br/>
  Her heart quickened in her chest as Gabriel Agreste was no where in sight.</p>
<p>That realization only made her even more nervous the moment Marinette heard the double doors close behind her, leaving her alone with this mysterious person. </p>
<p>  She lightly rocked on her heels nervously, reaching up to tuck one of her fringes behind her ear with a soft sigh. </p>
<p>"You must be Marinette!" He spoke, turning to face her with a small smile. "My father has said a lot about you."</p>
<p>  Marinette gulped, a deep blush covering her freckled cheeks regarding the fact that Gabriel Agreste even merely mentioned her name or skill to anyone. </p>
<p>  She awkwardly glanced around, somehow suspecting that there was another woman by the name of Marinette in the same room with them. </p>
<p>"I...uh...assume that you're Gabriel's son," Marinette mumbled anxiously, her heart squeezing inside of her chest as the sweat on the back of her neck began to bead against her skin.</p>
<p>  Marinette watched as he turned to face her, his hand running through his smooth hair and Marinette could have seen the innocence in his face from where she stood. </p>
<p>  <br/>
He had quite of a light boyish charm to him, and Marinette may have gotten the sense that perhaps Adrien wasn't as spoiled and on cloud nine as she had initially thought.</p>
<p>  Of course he had a beautiful face, he was the one front and center in almost all of Gabriel's promos. He was on the front cover of almost every fashion magazine and he was the first one on the stage during Gabriel's fashion premier shows. <br/>
   Marinette couldn't recall why she had never met him or even had a chance to talk to him, but she was glad that if Gabriel were to suddenly retire, he put the right people in charge.</p>
<p>Who else would be a better candidate besides her to run the entire company? Of course Adrien would be, he most likely had the most experience out of everyone there. He was the first and only son of Gabriel Agreste. He had worked beside his father for many years.</p>
<p>The choice was blatantly obvious. <br/>
Adrien Agreste was the perfect option. </p>
<p>"I didn't realise the news would get around so quickly," Adrien spoke, immediately veering Marinette away from her train of thought. "I knew it was on short notice, but I was hoping it would go smoothly."</p>
<p>  Marinette blinked, reaching up to brush a few stray hairs away from her eyes.</p>
<p>  "Don't worry too much about it," Marinette replied, her eyes moving towards the colossal windows that surrounded them. "It's bound to happen. Aside from Gabriel Agreste, no other big names with big experiences stop by to take over a large company."</p>
<p>  Adrien smiled, a small blush damping across his cheeks as he reached up to run his hand through his tousled blond hair.</p>
<p>"Actually, uh... that's the reason I requested Nathalie to bring you here," Adrien confessed, his arms dropping to his sides like a small child that had been huddled into a corner. "I have no experience at all..."</p>
<p>
  <em>...</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>...</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>...</em>
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<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>"<em>...What?"</em></p>
<p>Adrien coiled at Marinette's expression, immediately reaching up to rub the back of his neck. </p>
<p>"My father had said nothing but amazing things about you. I was hoping that you'd be the one to show me the ropes, to run the show and help me run things smoothly," his voice quivered as he spoke. </p>
<p>  Marinette exhaled, her eyes moving down to the ground with her lips pressed tautly together.</p>
<p>An assistant?</p>
<p>For Adrien Agreste?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Was this a promotion? She simply couldn't tell.</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>   •☆    ꧁꧂ •☆</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Marinette stumbled on her heels the moment she walked outside, she could feel the warm breeze of the early fall wind blow through her hair.<br/>
  She wasn't finished with her shift, but Marinette knew this was going to be another long night. If she wanted to make it to the bus stop in one piece, she'd need to have some sort of mace or pepper spray on her. It went without saying that she needed to be out during the day while there were people on the streets and the shops were open unless she'd have another run in with Chat Noir again. </p>
<p>  Marinette gasped, a twinge in her chest at the mention of Chat's name in her head. She parted her lips, her heart pounding ferociously within the confines of her chest. </p>
<p>  Marinette wasn't sure if she was just curious about him or if she were simply delusional. <br/>
   She wanted to think the latter. <br/>
She was attacked, spent all night at the police station, didn't call off the night before and she somehow agreed to be Adrien's right hand assistant after he had suddenly emerged from the blue to run his father's company.</p>
<p>She thought the entire scenario was strange, but the Agrestes were strange in general.</p>
<p>If she had the opportunity to work beside the administration of the company with increased pay, she'd be insane not to take it. </p>
<p>At least then she'd be able to learn first hand the administrative aspects of running a company. Adrien Agreste was the president of the company and Marinette was his right hand woman, she was his advisor.</p>
<p>The thought nearly made her scream. </p>
<p>"Ms. Dupain-Cheng?"</p>
<p>Marinette paused, her heart sinking into her stomach at the unfamiliar voice that called out to her, pulling her out of her euphoric trance. <br/>
  Her brow furrowed and the young woman turned around, her eyes landing upon a brunette female around her age, sporting glasses and a short pinafore dress stopping at the top of her knees. </p>
<p>"Excuse me? Who are you?" Marinette asked, turning over to fully face the unknown woman who reached out to her. </p>
<p>  The unknown female smiled, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose before she reached out for a formal handshake gesture.</p>
<p>"I'm Alya Cesaire. I'm a correspondent for TV news. I'd like to get an interview for the incident that had happened around this area last night."</p>
<p>  Marinette felt her blood run cold.</p>
<p>Chat Noir did warn her about the press coming after her the night before, but she didn't expect them to react so fast.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>   She exhaled, soon pressing her lips together as she had a new task of trying to come up with a way to somehow get out of this without causing a scene.</p>
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<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3: A night to wonder</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>
  <em>°•☆ "Love, </em>
  <br/>
  <em>to me is stumbling around in the dark</em>
  <br/>
  <em>trying to find the right words to describe the feeling I get when she smiles while she sleeps."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>-Atticus °•☆</em>
</p>
<p><br/>____</p>
<p>✾ ༄ ꧁꧂ ༄ ✾</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>“I don’t know her…”</p>
<p>The words hit Alya like a sack of potatoes. Her eyes narrowed, quickly glancing down at the screen of her phone that displayed an obvious photo of Marinette.</p>
<p>   "Erm...yes...you do," the brunette refuted. "She's you..." </p>
<p>Marinette visibly felt her eye twitch the moment the reporter flashed her the mugshot of herself from the many years ago she had gone underaged drinking at Chloe's New Year's party and was caught. </p>
<p><br/>   She knew those things were public records, but she never thought the press would be that impertinent to dig up old mugshots of her teenage years and hunt her down for an interview. </p>
<p>All Marinette wanted to do was grab her pepper spay and be on her merry way. She had only a few minutes for her break and with this new promotion she was ten times more fastidious when it came to her punctuation. </p>
<p><br/>She was working directly beneath the owner of the Agrestes' fashion line and the last thing she wanted was to be held hostage.</p>
<p>She had promised Chat Noir that she wouldn't speak to the press and she sure as hell wouldn't tip off the serial murderer or incline anymore copycats that wanted to prey on any women that resembled her likeness. </p>
<p>"I can't talk..." Marinette deadpanned, slowly spinning on her heels and clenching her fists. She pressed her lips together and trained her eyes to the nearest store so that she could find the nearest way out.</p>
<p><br/>  She could feel her heart squeezing within the confines of her chest, but she sure as hell wouldn't be harassed nor hounded in broad daylight. <br/>She had enough of that the night before when she was sure she wasn't going to make it home only hours prior. <br/>  <br/>  The young woman sighed, her blood pushing through her veins the moment she could hear the reporter follow her relentlessly without any sort or trepidation. </p>
<p>  "The public has the right to know of any copycat murderers out on the streets preying on the women of Paris. You have the responsibility to keep those women safe-" Alya retorted, her voice wobbling as she followed.<br/>  Marinette stopped abruptly, her brow furrowing as Chat Noir's voice continued to bounce around in the inner corners of her mind.</p>
<p><br/>"And the public has that right to remain safe," Marinette retorted, turning to face Alya with a grimace of frustration. "If I say anything about what had happened to me, if I mention anything about a copycat murderer I could inspire hundreds of other copycats to continue doing the very same thing. We could put more women in danger." </p>
<p><br/>Alya pressed her lips together, her chest growing tight as her eyes remained trained on Marinette. </p>
<p>  "Then I had the right to at least report that there was an incident and that there were no injuries..."<br/>Marinette simply shrugged, a small blush dusting her cheeks as she could recall the night she was attacked and how she only made it unscathed thanks to Chat Noir. </p>
<p>  She also vividly recalled how he said if she wanted to see him, she could simply ask and he'd come to her.<br/>All sorts of strange things happened that night, but she was glad that it was over. She was sure she wouldn't be able to walk without looking over her shoulder again. </p>
<p>"I think that would be something you could always ask the police. I don't think I'm interested in speaking to the media," Marinette elucidated with a small smile, a small wave of confidence suddenly enveloping her body the moment she realised that she finally had one over on this one. <br/>At least this move would be safe. </p>
<p><br/>Had something leaked to the tabloids, it would be due to police mishandling; it wouldn't be due to anything she had done. </p>
<p>She'd be in the clear by that point, but she had confidence Alya wouldn't get anywhere with this story. </p>
<p><br/>Alya sighed, pressing her lips together as she reached up and pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose with a small glare.</p>
<p>  "Sounds fair," she replied, moving her eyes up towards the young woman with a scorn look. "I'm glad you're okay and I understand where you're coming from. I consider what you've said about tipping off a copycat killer. I understand you want to prevent more assaults and possible murders..." her voice trailed off. "But I can always report your story and keep you anonymous, there are strangers worried about your well-being. It's just my job to report the facts to the public."</p>
<p>Marinette pressed her lips together, her blue eyes trained on the brunette with a tight chest. She remained quiet as she had the sense that this reporter was new to the business. Working under the Agreste name, she was approached by the tabloids often, but never like this before. </p>
<p>   Marinette remained quiet, exhaling as she lowered her glance, listening as she could hear Alya turn on her heels and walk away. </p>
<p><br/>   She was right, she was worried about tipping off a copycat murderer, but she couldn’t tell why she was so scared of revoking Chat Noir's advice. <br/>It wasn't like she knew him on a personal level. He was just some dude in a cat suit who happened to save her life. </p>
<p>A small blush began to coat her cheeks as she was left with her thoughts once more. </p>
<p>  In a street full of crowds of people, she suddenly found herself alone. She reached up, tucking some hair behind her ear as she turned. Her blue eyes began to rapidly glance around for shops that could possibly have any tools to defend herself.</p>
<p>It had been a scary situation the night before and it certainly left its mark on her. She didn’t want to take the risk and end up defenseless like she had. </p>
<p>  Marinette felt her heart begin to squeeze within her chest as she was suddenly enveloped in a sensation of paranoia. She needed to grab her things and make it back before her break was over. She didn't want to get on the bad side of her new boss.</p>
<p>____</p>
<p>✾ ༄ ꧁꧂ ༄ ✾</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Marinette was tired. She was a little surprised to return to work and not see Adrien, but she had no complaints. He was the new owner of the company and he was thrown into that position rather suddenly. She was more than sure he had a million and one things to do. To do both the paperwork and the modeling, she was sure his schedule was filled with all sorts of things. </p>
<p>If one thing was for sure, it was that she was incredibly grateful that she made it to the bus stop in one piece. </p>
<p>  Marinette wondered if she'd see the report regarding her attack the night before but she was dreading it. She kept her promise that she wouldn't say anything about what happened, and she hoped the investigators on the case wouldn't say much about the situation if they wanted to be careful. </p>
<p>She truly felt bad that she couldn’t give the reporter her big break, but she simply couldn't take that risk. </p>
<p>  Marinette stepped into her apartment, immediately sliding off her heels and setting them aside. She had every intention to take her routine shower but she was so emotionally and physically drained - she was more than willing to simply sleep in her work clothes and call off the next day, but the workaholic within her denied her that right. </p>
<p>The young woman trudged to her bedroom, the plans for the following day already sprawling out within the corners of her mind as she began to drag down her pantyhose and ball them up. </p>
<p>  Marinette simply ran her fingers down the zipper of her pencil skirt and allowed it to drop to the floor. Her fingers moved up towards the buttons of her blouse and she mindlessly undid the buttons of her clothing and drew it away from her body until she was simply standing in a pile of her clothes.</p>
<p>  Marinette ran her hand up her adjacent arm and she sighed, closing her eyes as she faced the curtains of her balcony. </p>
<p>  <br/>   <em>○• "Don't worry, you won't even know I'm around. Just ask to see me, if you want to see me. " ○•</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Marinette furrowed her brow as Chat Noir's voice echoed inside of her head.</p>
<p>  Just ask to see him? </p>
<p>What in the world could that have meant? </p>
<p>Marinette didn’t have the energy to wonder about it, but she knew it would be awkward to call for him while she stood there in her favorite pink and white panties and bra. </p>
<p>   A small blush had started to coat her cheeks and Marinette had begun to wonder once more if he was watching. <br/>It would only make sense, if she called him and he showed up, he would see her in her underwear. <br/>   <br/>Marinette shook her head, picking up her clothes and placing them into her washing bin with wide eyes.</p>
<p>  Now she was just being silly.</p>
<p>She had no time to call Chat Noir or summon him with an imaginary paw print Chat symbol. </p>
<p>   She needed her shower and she needed to get her ass to bed so that she could be up bright and early for work the next day.</p>
<p>She'd figure out Chat Noir's hieroglyphics some other time.</p>
<p>Though it was true that she couldn’t help but be curious, regardless. </p>
<p> </p>
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